Manager happy with Suisun's progress
By Ian Thompson
FAIRFIELD - Suisun City's efforts to economically improve itself are beginning to bear fruit, interim City Manager David Martinez told Solano County real estate professionals Wednesday.
Martinez described Suisun City as on the move to improve its downtown with the Main Street West project and a host of smaller commercial and residential projects.
Main Street West is the city's "most exciting project," he said at the gathering of local real estate experts. The city is in the process of working out which master developer will get the job of overseeing it.Suisun City leaders have narrowed the field to four and plan to approach the City Council with their top recommendation in the near future. The heart of the project is promoting the development of live-work projects with retail or commercial businesses on the ground floors and apartments on the upper floors. Such a concept could be a good fit for improving Vallejo's waterfront, Martinez said. He has suggested Vallejo leaders take a look at Suisun City's plans.
The first of these, Solis Plaza, is already in design review. Solis Plaza will be located at 423 Main St. with the long-time Suisun City fixture La Cabana Restaurant on the ground floor and five apartments located above it. "The old building will be demolished and we will have a whole new building there," Martinez said.
Plans to build a lighthouse on the waterfront near Mike Day Park has gotten preliminary approval from the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Suisun City is going to get a second lighthouse thanks to the telecommunications industry, Martinez said. A proposed cell tower planned for the northeast corner of Highway 12 and Walters Road is slated to be disguised as a lighthouse, Martinez told the gathering. City officials hope annexing and developing the 71-acre Gentry property south of Highway 12 and east of Pennsylvania Avenue will help bring in sales tax income.
Leaders hope to attract a mix of small shops, general merchandise businesses, a super center and/or a large home improvement store to the development. Martinez estimated 70 cents out of every dollar Suisun City residents spend is outside of the city because of the lack of significant retail businesses. "It is to our advantage to have more retail opportunities in town. We are working hard to bring more retail to Suisun City," Martinez said. Other pending projects Martinez mentioned include:
- An 80-apartment complex on Worley Road, which is under review.n A 31-acre mixed-use village at Marina Boulevard and Highway 12 that will include up to 125 homes and 125 townhouses as well as retail and light industrial businesses.
- A 13,000-square-foot retail/commercial development on a site at Grizzly Island and McCoy Creek roads.
- A two-business retail building at 193 Sunset Ave. that will include a Starbuck's Coffee.n A four-business retail business at 1240 Anderson Drive that will include It's a Grind Coffee Shop and Quizno's Subs.
